Another gap there, I’m afraid. It’s taking me some time to get back to normal, whatever that is. Still, we have been reasonably busy.

On Monday last week, still feeling pretty jet-lagged, we went to Eleanor’s in Recreation Road (off the Avenues) for an at-home. Eleanor is chaplain at the hospital, a recent member of our congregation and is also ordained, so she took our Easter Communion when we were away. We met a few of her family, and some other members of St Augustine’s who popped in. Dot was able to advise a young woman on the path to take towards a career in teaching, so that was all good.

No let-up the next day, when a meeting of the Paston trustees took place at North Walsham. I managed to stay sufficiently awake to take the minutes, and was still fairly awake in the evening when we went with the Robinsons to the Red Lion in Eaton for a birthday celebration meal (Philip’s). I haven’t been very lucky (or clever) with my menu choices recently, and the smoked haddock was OK, but not exceptional. We all came back to 22, and there was a showing of holiday photographs on Apple TV.

The next day (Wednesday) was blank, so we decided eventually to go for a walk. I had seen a walk at Irstead in a book, but couldn’t find it, so did some web research, and we ended up surprisingly doing almost precisely the walk I’d lost (I found it again later). Irstead is pretty remote (a dead end village), but it has a lovely church, and there were plenty of bluebells nearby. We walked down narrow lanes to a newish boardwalk stretching out into Barton Broad; at the end it was pretty idyllic in the sunshine. The walk continued and was about 3½ miles altogether.

On  Thursday we had invited Jenny and Mary round for a meal as part of the new church initiative (don’t ask), but Mary was unable to come; so we had a lovely meal and evening with Jenny, who is sadly about to leave Norwich.

The “pressure” continued on Friday, when we went to an exhibition by Rupert and others at a house in Plumstead Road East. All rather strange – the house didn’t look welcoming, but it turned out to be a bit like the Tardis, with two lovely big rooms. Chatted to Rupert and in the end bought one of his paintings (not paid for yet), which he will bring round when he has the chance.

The same evening was the Paston annual meeting at the Ship Inn, Mundesley. Dot and I arrived very early as a result of unexpectedly traffic-free roads, but fortunately Rob and Penny were already there and had seized the room, which the waiters had been about to use for random diners. Some sort of misunderstanding, but they had sorted it out. In the end a very select gathering on a cold and foggy night (oh yes it was). I said a little bit about Chronicle and took the chair for the re-election of Rob, and Jo supplied some nice sandwiches. Lucy, not at all well, staggered over to give the treasurer’s report, and then staggered back with Dot’s help.

A weekend with the Coomes was scheduled, but Kristine rang at around 9am on the Saturday to say David had a very bad stomach problem. Dot moped around for a bit, and so we decided to go to Blakeney Hotel for afternoon tea, and that worked quite well. We got chairs and a nice view. The tide was high. We continued to Salthouse, where we were shocked to find the steep shingle bank had been flattened by the sea, and the car park buried. Added to Norwich losing 4-0 to Manchester Utd, this was a bit of a blow.

After church on Sunday we ventured out again to visit Jessie. I was feeling a bit ropey, but we had a nice time. My blood pressure, taken on Monday, was down slightly but still high and I tried to get the practice nurse interested in my problems, but she demonstrated an alarming lack of curiosity. I am now trying a bit of gluten-free to see if it helps. Meanwhile Dot was doing useful work in the garden, and not complaining.

At lunchtime I reported problems we’d been having with the pump on the central heating (it wouldn’t turn off at night), and amazingly I got an immediate response. Must have been a slow day. A guy came and not only fixed the pump but did our annual service too.